Spain’s floods claim 300 lives with €1/2 billion damage price tag

FLOODS have taken 300 lives over the last 30 years in Spain, causing €500 million of damage.

Twenty-four people died last year alone, of whom 13 people – including two Brits – were killed in the Mallorca flash flood, and experts predict that climate change will increase both flooding and its negative impact.

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Floods are responsible for more personal and material harm in this country than any other natural disaster, said Alberto Herrero, director general of Proteccion Civil.

Herrero also stressed the Administrations’ need to prepare for floods by designing reliable hydraulic infrastructures and improving their understanding of flood-risk.

The general directorate for Proteccion Civil y Emergencias has now made a video with recommendations for dealing with flooding. It was vital that the public should be aware of basic self-protection measures in a flood situation, he said.

“We want to raise awareness while providing information about the steps to take in a flood situation, Herrero said.

An account of the first recorded floods in Spain appears in a text by the Roman historian Livy, he added, and details of historic floods can be consulted on the website of Proteccion Civil y Emergencias which began compiling a Catalogue of Historic Floods in 1995.

Written by

Linda Hall

Originally from the UK, Linda is based in Valenca and is a reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering local news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.

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